just imagine draco and pansy wearing this 🐍🐍

Writing advice from my uni teachers:

Writing Slow-Burn Romances

@not-the-girl-u-think​ said:

Let’s start with a little thingy first: slow-burns, when done well, are my favorite thing to read. I love the suspense that comes with them, that feeling when you know they’re going to get to together but you’re on the edge of your seat wondering if it’ll happen anyway. That stuff melts my heart, so I’m really, really happy that you sent this.

What is a slow-burn?

Slow-burns are great because they work both as a main or a subplot. They’re extremely character-oriented romances that take a while (usually an entire book or, in some cases, an entire series) to develop. Oh, and they have a talent for making people like me freak out over every little detail.

From a writer’s perspective, a slow-burn is a pain in the neck. You want everything to go at the right pace with the right chemistry enough that it seems like everything happens naturally. You don’t want things to go too slow or too fast, but you don’t want the reader to be rushed or bored either. Two characters are needed that would making a slow-burn seem worth it to pursue, and there lies the issue.

Creating the Chemistry

This part of the post is going to build pretty heavily on this post about writing believable romances. As you’ve (hopefully) guessed, your main goal for creating a successful slow-burn should be to achieve realism. Creating chemistry between characters is a balance of everything you’ve learned about writing romance.

In order for two (or more) characters to have good chemistry, they have to be compatible. One of the biggest giveaways of an under-developed romance is seeing two characters forced together when you know it wouldn’t happen in real life. When I say “balance”, what I mean is this: your characters can’t only have traits that fit well together, but they also can’t be constantly conflicting. 

People tend to like a challenge, so if their partner or partners just go along with everything they say it won’t become so much fun. However, constantly having to fight against the person/people you’re supposed to be with is physically and mentally exhausting. Once you get to this point, it’s easy to question whether this relationship is worth it.

This balance that you achieve is especially important because it’s one you’re going to be working with all throughout the development of this relationship. If there’s a trait you’re not necessarily “good” at writing, practice is going to be your best friend. You’ll need to know how their traits go together, where they clash and where they blend and where they don’t really act the way someone would expect.

The Relationship “Basis”

A slow-burn, as you know, doesn’t just happen. There are precursors, usually with them starting off as friends or a friend of a friend. Something was there first, and whatever this “something” was will have a pretty large effect on their current relationship.

If they were previously best friends, they’re probably already comfortable with each other. Depending on the length and depth of their friendship, taking it to a romantic level might not change anything other than the addition of kissing and… other activities.

If the previous relationship was based on a mutual dependency, depending on their personalities they might become more less dependent on each other. They might go out and learn/try new things together and use the codependency to help each other out, or they might make an effort to get a little more independent so they’re not constantly relying on each other.

You’ll want to consider how they met in the first place, and why they started talking in the first place. Was it a funny joke, a chance meeting on a vacation, something like tutoring at first? This basis will be the precedent for the relationship, and in my opinion it’s too important to be forgotten about.

Hinting at a Romance

Romance between people happens in weird ways. Sometimes someone points it out or sometimes it happens like in that one Tumblr post where one little thing happens and then it’s there. Sometimes it’s a stolen glance across the room or a game of spin the bottle gone wrong.

When there are situations involving a forcing of romantic interaction, the characters involved are absolutely correct to be made uncomfortable by this situation. I’ve seen too many stories where characters don’t act like themselves in these moments for purely the purpose of bringing in this romance… don’t do that.

What I tend to lean to are weird thoughts about the possibility of a romantic future and those thoughts that hit you unexpectedly. “Woah, I bet A would love this.” Things like that are what I usually do, just because that’s how I’ve always experienced things. If you want to go beyond your own perspective, ask your friends. It could definitely be a weird question, so if you’re not comfortable with that then Google will be your friend.

Everything else in a slow-burn is so character-oriented that there’s not really any more general advice I could give. Thanks again so much for asking, I hope this helps!

Fanfiction tags 

part 1 of the 2 recap post about all my fanfiction tags card serie

part 2

How are these so beautiful?

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Philosopher’s Stone, Ch. 5

What’s the point of having Narcissa look at wands if Draco needs to be there in person to test them? 

(via dailypottermeta)

Hypothesis: she wants to make sure Olivander doesn’t show him anything too downmarket.

I’d believe it, but is there such a thing as a downmarket wand? All of Ollivander’s wands are handmade by him, and it sounds like he harvests the core materials himself (based on his story in Book 4 about how the unicorn that Cedric Diggory’s wand core came from nearly gored him). He probably does the same with the wood needed to make the wand, which would mean that there probably isn’t much variance in the up-front expense of crafting different kinds of wands, except maybe travel? Because most wands don’t seem to be custom made, a wand could theoretically be made and sit on his shelf for decades before it ever “chooses” a customer, so it may not be possible to price wands according to their manufacturing cost. I’ve always supposed that all wands cost the same.

huh. when I read that line I always assumed she was looking for herself?

Taken in isolation it could be read that way, but the line just before it is “My father’s next door buying my books”, which implies that both Malfoy’s parents are getting his school supplies.

I've got a whole head canon for this and a ginormous fic plot bunny:

Magical traditional thinking is like: one does not simply acquire a wand. One doth make a spectacle of the whole ordeal, complete with a ritual ceremony signifying the young offspring has now been initiated into the community of wand holders. Did I write a history of wand making and used my absymal latin knowledge to think of the ceremony? Does the wand that choses Draco at his initiation ceremony cause a scandal in front of the whole pureblood elite and explain why it will work for Harry Potter later?

You bet I did.

“A language is not just words. It’s a culture, a tradition, a unification of a community, a whole history that creates what a community is. It’s all embodied in a language.” -   Noam Chomsky

Why Ron/Hermione Argue

As some people might already know about me, I’ve never been one to shy away from a good debate. That’s a trait that I share with Hermione.

There are some people who don’t particularly like arguing or disagreeing. Some people genuinely do. Hermione falls into the second category, and since I do as well, I wanted to try to explain what’s up with all of the arguing between her and Ron.

I don’t think there are that many people who would say that she isn’t an argumentative person by nature. In addition to Ron/Harry, Hermione clashes with Lavender over her rabbit, Luna over her theories, Umbridge over Ministry rules, Snape over the lesson plans for Lupin’s DADA class, Professor Trelawney over Divination, Parvati over Divination, Draco over Hagrid/Buckbeak, etc. And she argues with everyone about house-elves. Hermione is argumentative, and that’s how she prefers it.

Hermione finds it intellectually stimulating to argue, and needs someone who’s going to argue right back.

Genuine Friendship

Hermione is not the sort of person who’s afraid of being the person reading the book while everyone else is having fun. When she fights with Harry/Ron in PA, she doesn’t buddy up with Lavender/Parvati or apologize to the boys just to have someone to sit with at lunch. She sits by herself in the common room and goes it alone. In other words, Hermione is not the kind of person who chooses a bad friend over no friend at all.

If she did not enjoy spending time with Ron, she would have no problem sitting on the other side of the common room reading a book while waiting for Harry to return. And yet, we constantly see her in Ron’s company, even when Harry’s not around.

In every book after CS, she arrives the Burrow/Leaky Cauldron/Number 12 before Harry does. Harry takes it for granted that Ron and Hermione will be sitting together when he shows up in the common room, but that’s not a small thing. In PA, the two of them return from Hogsmeade “looking as though they’ve had the time of their lives.”

Despite how much they fight, it’s very clear that Hermione genuinely enjoys spending time with Ron.

Comfort with Conflict

Harry was raised by the Dursleys, and sees arguing and conflict as associated with strife. He also doesn’t feel comfortable expressing his emotions, so he tends to bottle things up until they explode.

Hermione frequently nags Harry, which Harry does not particularly appreciate. He basically has three strategies when being nagged by Hermione. The first is avoiding/ignoring her, the second is lying to her, and the third is exploding at her. Examples of the first and second include occulmency, sneaking into Hogsmeade, his doubts over Dumbledore’s past, the egg clue, his homework, his feelings about Ron’s absence, Voldemort’s visions in DH, his grades, etc.

When he can’t lie/avoid/ignore, Harry will explode at Hermione. At which point the balance of power tilts sharply toward Harry. When Harry explodes, Hermione crumples. She will cry, shrink back, speak “in a small voice,” etc.

Nagging is simply Hermione’s style, and while she might learn to tone it down, it’s always going to be part of who she is.

The problem is that Hermione needs feedback. Because Harry doesn’t engage with Hermione’s nagging, it’s hard for her to know when she’s entering the danger zone.

Like Hermione, Ron is pretty comfortable with the idea of conflict. He was raised in a house where such behavior was acceptable. He knew that just because his mother shouts or his brothers tease doesn’t mean that they don’t love him. He might be insecure about his worth, but he never has to worry that his family will simply stop loving him if he crosses some kind of invisible line.

Both Hermione and Ron wear their emotions on their sleeves and give each other instant feedback. If Hermione is upset with the boys, she tells them exactly why. Ron is the same way. Even when Ron fights with Harry, he chooses to immediately engage with him that night rather than giving him the cold shoulder and forcing Harry to work it out on his own.

The conflicts over each other’s romantic partners (or potential romantic partners) are a good example as well. When Ron sees something developing with Hermione/Krum, he immediately reacts and Hermione reacts right back.

When Hermione sees that Ron has a crush on Fleur, she wastes no time talking about how Fleur “really thinks a lot of herself” and “scowls” when Fleur gives Ron attention. Hermione reacts to Ron kissing Lavender not by sulking but by sending a flock of birds flying at his head. Neither of them are great at hiding how they feel.

There is a brief period in HBP where Ron decides to give Hermione the cold shoulder after finding out that she kissed Krum. Hermione is quite visibly rattled and upset by this behavior, saying she “doesn’t know what she’s supposed to have done.” Because normally when Ron is upset at Hermione, he tells her why.

A lot of the problems in the later books regarding their romantic lives stem from the same thing. They’re unable to conceal their feelings, but for the first time, they’re also unable to be 100% upfront with one another. Which creates a comedy of misunderstandings and poor decision-making.

Arguing as Conversation

There’s not really anger between Ron/Hermione’s arguments. I know that sounds odd, but to them it’s a cross between a rational discussion and intellectual exercise. Ron presents an idea, Hermione counters, Ron counters, and so on and so forth. It’s basically just a way to pass the time and exchange perspectives.

The morning after Ron/Hermione’s heated argument about Krum after the Yule Ball, Harry notes that they were being “quite friendly to each other, though oddly formal.”

In other words, they’re bending over backwards to be polite to one another and it’s making things weird. It’s totally different from their normal behavior.

There are many times in canon where they will segue from an argument to a normal conversation with no visible ill-will.

Even with Scabbers and the Firebolt, when an argument is finished, it’s finished.

PA:

They’re perfectly capable of stopping in their tracks in order to focus on Harry or something else that’s just happened.

For another example, look at OP:

Ron/Hermione are shocked, offended, and angry at Harry’s remark, because they don’t see anything wrong with their behavior. This is just how they communicate.

Harry leaves the table and goes straight up to Divination, and Ron joins him a few minutes later:

So in a matter of minutes, Ron and Hermione resolved their argument and discussed the best way to handle Harry. Notice that Ron doesn’t actually apologize for arguing with Hermione, he just tells Harry they’ve stopped.

An Expression of Trust

When you get to know someone, you learn that there are certain things they’re sensitive about, and you try to steer away from those topics. This is no different with Hermione/Ron. They both know what’s safe and what’s off-limits.

Hermione can call Ron tactless numerous times and nag him to do his homework, but she’s not going to take a shot at his family’s finances. Ron will tell Hermione to stop nagging and call her a know-it-all, but he would never insult her appearance.

That’s how they operate. And Hermione knows that if she accidentally strays into the danger zone, Ron will let her know. And vice versa.

Keeping Things Balanced

The movies turn Hermione into this perfect superwoman and Ron into a cowardly idiot who’s the butt of the joke, but the truth is that both characters are flawed in their own way.

One of Hermione’s more abrasive qualities is her tendency to be a bit of a know-it-all.

To be clear, being a know-it-all is not the same as being smart. Being smart is knowing the answer. Being a know-it-all is being unable to resist telling everyone else the answer. Essentially the way that Hermione and Ron negotiate a balanced relationship is by Ron engaging her when she nags him or acts like a know-it-all.

Hermione cannot help telling Ron that he’s not pronouncing a spell correctly. Plenty of people are offended by that kind of behavior, even when the other person is right. But Ron, instead of ignoring her corrections or acting as though he’s been gravely insulted, just calls her a know-it-all to keep things even. This evens the scales between them and prevents their relationship from becoming Hermione bossing Ron around.

It’s important to understand that Ron does have a huge amount of respect for Hermione’s abilities. He’s not always the best about coming out and saying it, but he takes it for granted that she’s the cleverest person in the room.

PS:

GoF:

When the O.W.L.s arrive and Hermione looks slightly unhappy and says that she did “not bad,” Ron takes the paper and announces that she got 10 Outstandings and 1 Exceeds Expectations and then playfully makes fun of her for being disappointed given how impressive her scores are. When Ron and Hermione take their apparition tests, he tells Harry that Hermione was “perfect, obviously.” Even when he himself fails, he doesn’t seem to bear any ill-will toward Hermione.

Ron’s not threatened by Hermione’s intelligence, and he’s not too prideful to do exactly what Hermione’s told him to do. But his teasing and his unwillingness to automatically agree with Hermione is what creates a balanced relationship between the two.

And Hermione genuinely needs this in a partner. She needs someone who will volley right back when she argues with them. She needs someone who will understand that her tendency to be a know-it-all is an instristic part of her personality. She needs someone who finds it endearing rather than annoying.

IT IS SO OKAY. I am not cackling evilly AT ALL (or fangirling, even though @fansplaining​ has saved me on many a road trip THANK YOU). And if it’s not just capital-P politics, but also larger philosophical questions, there’s so much more. 

First, pretty much everything by femmequixotic, blamebrampton, and blythely, masters of the Political fic.

Then, on the broader questions:

And none of them are even close to 300k! Most of them are nice and short! And there must be more. Both re: politics and re: philosophy. Right followers? Yes? There are more?

Adding to the (mostly wizarding) politics rec list with a few more recent fics:

Drarry Fic Rec: The Audacity

Title: The Audacity Author: @whiteout​ Pairing(s): Harry/Draco Rating: Mature Word Count: 3,205 Content/Warnings: club!fic, bottom!harry Summary: After the war, Potter fucked off to Berlin and developed sex appeal. The audacity.

Super fun fic that gave me all the gorgeous summer city vibes. I loved the energy of this fic!

Oh my, the feeling when a favorite writer of yours picks up your fic*wibbles* Thank you for the recommendation, @gracerene09 <3

harry potter books rated by ron

sorcerer’s/philosopher’s stone: i’ll be a knight, literally sacrifices himself for harry and hermione 10/10 chamber of secrets: in like chapter two he FLIES a car to save harry from his abusive relatives already 10/10 prisoner of azkaban: stood on his broken leg to try and defend harry from a supposed mass murderer he’d been scared of most of his freaking life 10/10 goblet of fire: ron’s indignation on his behalf was worth about a hundred points to him - also the thing harry missed most 10/10  order of the phoenix: weasley is our king 10/10 half-blood prince: In spite of the feeling of dread that had just swept through him his spirits could not help but lift at the sight of it. Ron was in there 10/10 deathly hallows: ron breaking the silencing charm to shout at voldermort that harry beat him 10/10

Brain blown.

2020.07.23

Complete fics posted on AO3 this day

1. Anything For Mr Mistoffelees by @arielsakura [T, 1k]

▶ Harry likes Muggle Theatre and Draco uses it to his advantage.

2. The Audacity by @whiteout [M, 3k]

▶ After the war, Potter fucked off to Berlin and developed sex appeal. The audacity.

3. Comfort in the arms of love by @wermcult [E, 3k]

▶ harry has a panic attack, draco looks after him, they admit feelings and then they are just cuties

4. Iustitia & Prudentia by @skeptiquewrites [E, 36k]

▶ Draco Malfoy’s entire life fell apart after the War. He’s putting it back together as best he can with what is available to him. But Harry keeps interfering and won’t leave him alone. When he agrees to be an Auror consultant to help Harry, is it more than he bargained for? […]

—

Fest/Exchange

1. I’m gonna let it happen by Anonymous [E, 12k]

▶ And I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t […] Well what the hell I’m gonna let it happen to me ★ HD Wireless 2020 | @hd-wireless

After a shitty few weeks (read: months) and an artsy magazine submission that was first accepted and shortly before publication suddenly declined because of internal editorial "mistakes", just having a work of my own published and reblogged feels like an ginormous achievement.*wibbles* *hurls flame thrower at depression*

Consider supporting my work by buying me a coffee ♡

Major Noora/Wilhelm (Skam org) energies here and what can I say, I’m obsessed.💗

File this under “super obvious yet I always seem to forget it.”

I don’t write romance (I totally respect people who do, though!) but this is also great writing advice in general! What is preventing the protagonist from achieving their goal?

Why can’t these two people be together now?

Why can’t the mystery be solved now?

Why can’t they overthrow the evil overlord now?

If you don’t have a solid answer for these questions, that’s a good indicator that the plot could use some more work.

Also test your answer a little bit. If it’s as thin as they’re just refusing to sit down and have a simple conversation, you might want to re-think how things are going.

As a beta reader/editor, I tend to ask this question a lot: “Why are they doing it this way when there’s a much easier path available?” That’s not to say that they should take the easier path, because that would usually be boring. Instead, the point is that the question needs an answer–either eliminate the easier path or give them a very clear reason for not taking it. (And if I’m asking the question, that reason isn’t as clear as you think it might be.)

I find it very difficult to root for characters who have a sensible option available and just don’t take it. If the only reason is “Because there wouldn’t be a story otherwise,” you haven’t actually found the story yet.

And this is why the Big Misunderstanding as a primary plot device is almost universally disliked.

The significance of plot without conflict

In the West, plot is commonly thought to revolve around conflict: a confrontation between two or more elements, in which one ultimately dominates the other. The standard three- and five-act plot structures–which permeate Western media–have conflict written into their very foundations. A “problem” appears near the end of the first act; and, in the second act, the conflict generated by this problem takes center stage. Conflict is used to create reader involvement even by many post-modern writers, whose work otherwise defies traditional structure.

The necessity of conflict is preached as a kind of dogma by contemporary writers’ workshops and Internet “guides” to writing. A plot without conflict is considered dull; some even go so far as to call it impossible. This has influenced not only fiction, but writing in general–arguably even philosophy. Yet, is there any truth to this belief? Does plot necessarily hinge on conflict? No. Such claims are a product of the West’s insularity. For countless centuries, Chinese and Japanese writers have used a plot structure that does not have conflict “built in”, so to speak. Rather, it relies on exposition and contrast to generate interest. This structure is known as kishōtenketsu.

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“We are sun and moon, dear friend; we are sea and land. It is not our purpose to become each other; it is to recognize each other, to learn to see the other and honor him for what he is: each the other’s opposite and complement.”